Vigilante
by DarkKnight6
Summary: A crisis shakes Everwood as Ephram tries to take responsibility for it. Chapter TWO is UP. Future E/A stuff.
1. Chapter One

Author's Note: I'm not sure if this story will be liked but my reputation as an occasional Everwood fanfic writer won't be hurt anyways. This three-part story takes place in the summer after the season finale. I'll continue the story if I get some positive feedback. 

Part One – Crime Wave

Ephram sat hunched in chair; his face buried in his shaking hands. He sat alone in the corner of the police station, better known as their "visitors' area." A hand fell on Ephram's shoulder. He looked up to his dad, Dr. Andrew Brown, standing firmly by the bed. 

Tears began to form in Ephram's dark eyes. "It's all my fault…I should've been there…"

Andy shook his head. "There's nothing you could've done, Ephram. The police will find her. We'll get her back."

Anger burned into Ephram's mind as he recalled what had happened. He was out taking Delia to the ice-cream parlor when it happened. He had stopped at the bookstore to pick up this month's Batman from the comics rack. Delia had happily agreed to wait for him and made her way to the Mrs. Melving's nearby fruit stand to buy a bag of cherries. That was when it began – the kidnapping. A van sped out from around the corner and smashed into the fruit stand, breaking it apart and knocking it down. Mrs. Melving had fallen unconscious by the impact of the hit, and lay motionless in the pile of debris. According to witness reports, two ski mask-clad men jumped out from the side door. One grabbed the cashbox from the trashed fruit stand while the other grabbed the terrified Delia. Disappearing back into the van, the culprits sped off into the distance in a matter of seconds.

            Andy left Ephram to go talk to the sheriff. The shadows of two people approached Ephram, causing him to look up. Standing in front of him were Amy and Rose Abbott.

            "Ephram. How are you holding up?" Rose delicately asked.

            Ephram rubbed his eyes, getting rid of the last trace of tears. "I'm all right…"

            Rose gave him a heartfelt nod of concern and pulled out a handkerchief as a few tears rolled down her eyes. "I'm so sorry. This has never happened before…excuse me." Rose went off, wiping her tears away as she approached Andy and the sheriff. 

            Amy sat next to Ephram and patted his back gently. "Are you okay?"

            Ephram tried not to make eye-contact with her. "It's all my fault…"

            "No! No it wasn't, Ephram," Amy lulled, hugging Ephram. "Don't worry, Ephram. They'll find her."

            Ephram looked at her and nodded. "You're the last person I expected to come." Amy hadn't spoken to him (nor anyone else really) after Colin's death a month earlier. 

            "Of course I came. Ephram, you've always been there for me, regardless of how I treated you. Now it's my turn to be here for you," Amy answered, placing his hand in hers. 

            Ephram tried to smile and found it a lot easier when Amy smiled back.

***

            "I can't believe this is happening…Everwood CAN'T be having a crime wave!" Rose cried as Chief Roger read through various witness reports. 

            A week earlier, the Everwood Bank was robbed for the first time – by masked man reportedly using the same van seen earlier today. Days later, Herb's Discount Store was broken into and looted. The rumor was that these mysterious criminals were ex-members of an infamous inner-city Denver gang. The police station was running double-shifts to catch the culprits, but not one officer could determine where these criminals were hiding.

            A deputy approached Roger's desk and placed an envelope in front of him. "This just arrived in our mail chute, Chief."

            Roger snatched the envelope and carefully opened it. His eyes quickly scanned over and sighed, handing it to Rose. "One million in unmarked bills to be left in a brown paper bag at the base of Deerfall Canyon. If they see anyone sticking around after the package has been delivered, they'll kill the girl." 

            Rose covered her mouth in shock. "This is turning into one of those lousy ransom movies."

            Roger stood up and headed for the door. "Come on, let's call Dr. Brown."

***

            Ephram slammed his fist against a wall as the armored van sent from Denver rolled in front of the Browns' house, carrying with it one million dollars in unmarked bills. 

            Andy held the large paper bag and watched as two men exited the van carrying the heavy metal box that was holding the money. "Just be grateful we have the money to cooperate with kidnappers."

            Frustration burned in Ephram's mind as shook his head. "This is stupid. Whoever these guys are, they're doing everything by-the-book."

            Andy turned to his son, clearly not understanding what Ephram was getting at. "What are you trying to say?"

            "The ending of the book is always 'kill the hostage.' Once we give them the money, they'll just kill Delia!" Ephram yelled.

            Andy's fury mirrored Ephrams. "And what would you have me do then? Don't you get it? Ephram, WE HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE! We either give them the money and take the slim chance that they'll give her back or we don't do anything and let her die!" Tears began to well-up in Andy's eyes.

            "The police should be doing something! They shouldn't be telling us to just cooperate with these bastards so they can take the money and kill my sister! They should be out there, hunting for these guys and -"

            "THEY CAN'T!" Andy hastily yelled back. "I hate being powerless in this crap just as much as you do, but YOU need to understand that the police are just as powerless as we are!"

            Ephram shook his head and stormed out of the room. "YOU and those badge-happy pigs outside can all go to hell, but I'm getting Delia back."

***

            Ephram slid the black turtleneck over his shirt to match the black pants he had on. After cramming his backpack full of equipment, Ephram looked around the room one last time. His eyes fell on the copy of this month's Batman lying on his bed. 

"You had it easy. You had belt full of million-dollar gadgets, a herd of sidekicks, and a bulletproof costume." 

Not interested in continuing his conversation with a fictional ink character, Ephram slipped the black ski mask over his head and slung the backpack over his shoulder. Looking outside the window, he saw that all the cops and his dad had left to go to the police station. 

Ephram checked his watch. "Two-sixteen. Three and a half hours until dawn."

Sliding his window open, Ephram climbed out and braced himself before jumping off the roof. Landing a little more firmly than his previous attempt several months earlier, Ephram chuckled to himself. "Getting better at that."

***

Ephram leapt off the tree and landed silently on the ground, his eyes scanning around the area for several seconds before he spotted the dim lights coming from the windows of a secluded cabin just forty feet away. _Took me two hours to find this place.__ No turning back now. Ephram crouched low as he saw three figures leave the cabin. _

One of them hollered in a half-drunk voice, "Wer goin out ta find us some cigarettes from the –hic- van. Don't let yer eyes offa that girl." 

Ephram smirked at his luck. _I passed that van some time ago. I'll have a few minutes before they get back. _

Ephram waited for the three men to disappear from sight before sprinting towards the cabin. Hiding by the cabin's generator, Ephram pulled a wirecutter from his backpack and clipped the clipped the wires feeding electricity into the cabin. _Seventy-two seconds._

Crawling forward, Ephram hid behind the cabin door. Trying to hold back his fear, he forced himself to think about what he had to do next. Voices from inside the cabin began cussing questions as the lights suddenly flickered off. _Breaking through the window's too unpredictable. They're probably right by the door. Sixty-five seconds._

To Ephram's surprise, the door burst open. A beefy man stormed out of the cabin and looked around. 

"What happened to the power?" the thug roared.

Now was Ephram's chance. A _hook and sweep should do it. _Ephram jumped from behind the door and hammered his fist into the man's face. A loud crunch filled the air as Ephram heard the man's nose shatter. Dropping to his knees, Ephram hurled his right leg outward and swept it behind the man's ankles, dropping to the ground in an instant. Pulling the struggling thug aside, a chloroform-soaked cloth was already in hand as he placed it over the man's face. Seconds later, the man blacked out. _Thirty-three seconds.___

Ephram spun around as the second man, a pale and gangly one, cautiously walked out of the cabin, flashlight in hand. The intense light caught Ephram before he could slip into the shadows.

            "Who the hell are you?" the nervous brute screamed out.

            "Sean Connery, but only on weekends," Ephram joked, trying to mask his fear. 

            The man turned even paler and began to pull a revolver from his back pocket. Ephram hurled a handful of damp dirt into the man's eyes, causing him to give off a loud shriek. Ephram kicked the gun out of the man's hands and elbowed him in the ribs. He followed with a series of wild punches that sent the man falling to the ground. Pulling a short utility rope from his backpack, he tied the man's hands behind his back and slammed the side of his head with a small baseball bat, also obtained from his backpack, knocking the pale thug unconscious. 

            Ephram dashed through the open door, pulling out his flashlight. Spotting a room at the end of the cabin, he sprinted over and charged into it, damaging the old lock and cracking part of the door. _Damn that hurt. Sixteen seconds. _ Shoving the door open, Ephram peered in. "Delia!" 

            The girl sat frozen, tied to a chair with a blindfold on. "Who…are you?"

            Not answering her question, Ephram pulled a knife from his pocket and cut the ropes, freeing his stunned sister. A yell bellowed from behind him as footsteps clapped right behind him. _They're back…I was off by seven seconds. _

            Spinning around, Ephram hurled the bat at the nearest man, sending him bolting into the wall. The other two men ran down the hallway, charging at Ephram. _I'm really starting to wish I'd stayed home longer and thought this through. Feeling reckless and desperate, Ephram grabbed the nearby chair and smashed it into the single window in the room, shattering it open. Slinging his screaming sister over his back, Ephram jumped out of the window and sprinted into the forest. Gunshots rang through the air as bullets whisked dangerously by him. One bullet skimmed through his ribs, cracking two of them as they went by. Ephram staggered, lowering his sister.  _

            "Get out of here. Just keep running," Ephram yelled, falling down. 

            Delia nodded but hesitated for a split second. Terror washed through her face as she began running as fast as her legs could carry her. Ephram crawled away and hid behind a tree, blacking out seconds later.

***

            Harold Abbott nearly spit out his morning coffee, shocked at what his wife was telling him. "Lemme get this straight. A masked vigilante finds the kidnappers, saves Delia, gets injured, and sends her running away."

            Rose nodded. "Exactly, and we don't know who this 'hero' is. Delia barely caught a glimpse of him the entire time and doesn't remember much of what happened. She found herself running for her life before even realizing where she was going."

            Harold set his slice of toast down. "Rubbish. The girl obviously managed to escape on her own but became too delusional to realize how, so her mind synthesized this Saturday-morning cartoon story." Taking another sip of his coffee, Harold continued. "So where's Delia now?"

            Rose took her plate to the sink. "The police questioned her for an hour as Dr. Brown gave her a complete check-up. Right now she's resting at the Brown's house. Davenport's postponed the printing of today's _Pinecone_ until this afternoon, so he can get more information about Delia's rescue and this mysterious hero."

***

            Through the chaos of the past eighteen hours, Andy just now realized that he hadn't seen Ephram all morning. In fact, Andy wasn't even sure if Ephram knew about Delia's rescue. 

            "Ephram?" Andy whispered, knocking on his son's door.

            Opening the door, Andy walked in to find the room empty. A cold breeze whisked through the open window. "Where hell did he go?"

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	2. Chapter Two

Author's Note: Thanks for the positive comments. Honestly, I didn't think I'd get any. So, here's part two of this three-part piece. Hope you enjoy.

Part Two – Masked Crusader

            Ephram blinked several times before opening his eyes. Looking around, he found himself lying on a couch in another rustic cabin. Across from him were his mask, turtleneck, shirt, and backpack – all placed neatly on a desk. _Where the hell am I?_

            "Good, you're awake, Ephram."

            Ephram looked for the voice and spotted the man sitting in the corner of the room. "Who…how do you know my name?"

            The man approached Ephram with a plate of food. "Here's one tip for ya: If you're gonna go pull a stunt like the one you pulled last night, try NOT to carry your wallet and I.D. in your pocket?"

            Ephram half-smirked and focused on the man's face. "I know you, don't I?"

            The man nodded. "Danny Maxwell. Your dad helped my bear on Thanksgiving." The man set the plate of food by Ephram. "That was a pretty stupid thing you did last night. Brave, but stupid. You could've gotten hurt. Hell, you DID get hurt."

            Ephram groaned, feeling the pain in his ribs summoned by Danny's words. "How did you find me?"

            Danny gave Ephram a hearty grin – one of the most eerie sights Ephram had ever witnessed. "Because I was going to do the same stupid thing."

            Ephram smiled. "You were gonna go rescue my sister?" 

            Danny nodded again. "I saw their hideout a few nights ago on one of my hikes. I figured me and my bear could send these crooks packing. Unfortunately, you beat me to it. I found you unconscious by a tree."

            Ephram coughed. "Well thanks." Ephram tried to get up but found it much harder than he thought.

            Danny grabbed Ephram's arm and helped him up. "Easy, kid. You had a .38 round tear through your ribs. I managed to stop the bleeding and bandage it all up, but it'll be a couple weeks before your ribs heal."

            Grabbing a flannel shirt from the couch, Danny handed it to Ephram. "Here. Your other clothes were torn and stained with blood."

            Ephram thankfully accepted the shirt and buttoned it on, smirking at how its big size didn't fit him. He began grabbing his stuff from the desk. "I better leave."

            Danny walked away and grabbed the plate of food. "Wait, you should at least have some- "  Turning around, he saw that Ephram had already disappeared. The door hung wide open as a chilling breeze moved into the cabin. 

***

            Andy grabbed his car keys and gave Delia a kiss on the forehead. "I have to go answer a house call. Nina and Sam are gonna come over in a minute and there's a police officer standing guard by the door."

            Delia hugged her dad's legs for several seconds before letting him go. "Come back soon."

            Ephram sprinted down the stairs. "I'm going out."

            Andy opened the door. "Are you ready to tell me where you were this morning?"

            "Nope," Ephram hastily snapped as he jumped out the door and ran off.

***

Amy took a bite out of her sandwich as she read today's _Pinecone._ "'Anonymous masked crusader rescues local girl from kidnappers.' Unbelievable…"  Amy mumbled as she turned the next page. 

Bright jumped on the couch and turned the TV on. "I think it's awesome. It's about time Everwood got some freak in a mask to solve crimes. Stuff like this is what's gonna turn the _Pinecone_ into a tabloid." Bright chuckled and tossed the remote down when he reached Cartoon Network.

"Yeah, but vigilantism is also ILLEGAL, Bright. This guy could get in major trouble if he keeps it up…" Amy began to lecture.

Bright groaned. "Whatever, Amy. The guy rescued Delia from being shot. No matter how you look at it, 'mystery man' is a hero."

***

            "All right, tough guy. We can do this white collar or blue collar. But either way, I'm taking you down…" Ephram whispered, narrowing his eyes as he poised himself in a fighting stance.

            The squirrel squeaked twice before dropping Ephram's ski mask and running away.

            Ephram smirked as he snatched the mask and pulled it over his face. "Ephram: One. Forces of evil: Zero."

            Ephram remained crouched on the flat rooftop of Mama Joy's Diner. The heavy darkness looming over the rooftops of Everwood shielded him from anyone that might've been able to spot him. 

            "I have the feeling something big's gonna happen tonight. My instincts are burning and I don't think it's that new two-in-one shampoo I've been using…though I have noticed less flakes." 

            Ephram stayed low and scanned the view, trying to monitor everything that was happening in the town. "So what is it? Another store heist? Torching the barbershop? Hilary Clinton in town on a shopping trip? The suspense is killing..." Ephram chuckled.

            Ephram grabbed a nearby piece of chipped wood. "And don't think that your being an inanimate object is gonna stop me asking, because I'm not exactly big on the detective work…"

            A scream filled the air. 

            Ephram grinned. "That was quick. I shoulda asked for Britney Sp- "

            Ephram stopped as a man hugging a sack began running towards the alley by Mama Joy's. Ephram recognized him as the pale gangly one from the previous night. As the squirrelly gangster ran by the diner, Ephram grabbed him by his shoulders and hurled him up on the roof.

            "A sack of cash? Is this what you get for all of your dates? I was just thinkin some candy and flowers, but stolen money? I wish I'd thought of that…" Ephram whispered, launching a punch at the man.

            The man swiftly dodged and pulled a knife from his pocket with his free hand. "Stay away, kid! This isn't your fight."

            Ephram drew his short bat from his backpack. "The moment you took kidnapped Delia, you made it my fight."

            The man lunged at Ephram with the knife. "And why is she so important to you? Does the brave 'hero' have a crush on a third grader?"

            Ephram dodged the knife lunge and slammed his foot into the man's stomach. "Yeah, I was even thinking about asking her out just before you took her."

            The man took several breaths, trying to recover from the quick. Lashing out with his knife, he kept Ephram at bay. "Funny guy…"

            Ephram launched another kick to try to knock the knife out of the man's hand but missed. His opponent seized the moment and whipped his knife forward, slashing Ephram across the chest.

            "Gah!" Ephram yelled as he recoiled, jumping back.

            The fiery sting of the long cut was more excruciating than Ephram could have imagined. _I've got to finish this now._

            Ephram charged forward and ducked under his opponents knife stab. Grabbing his arm, Ephram knocked the knife out of his hands and smacked him across the face with his bat. Ephram kicked the man in the ribs as he fell down. 

            Looking around, he spotted a large crowd forming around Mama Joy's as several police officers began climbing ladders to reach the rooftop. 

            "Gotta go…" Ephram whispered to his wheezing opponent. Turning to the massive crowd in front of the diner, Ephram started to feel that he was in over his head. "Uh…Buy low, sell high." _Good looks, daring-do, AND market advice…try getting all that from Superman._

            Without another thought, Ephram jumped off the rooftop and landed firmly in the dark alley. A few cops began to chase after him, but 'vigilante' had already slipped into the shadows and disappeared from sight.

***

            Amy shut the door behind her and looked around her room. The window was open. _I never leave the window open… Amy's hand reached over to turn on the lights but another hand grabbed hers and pulled her away from the light switch. She tried to let out a scream but a hand slipped over her mouth._

            "Relax, Amy."

            Amy turned around and saw the 'masked crusader' standing in front of her. Blood began to trickle from the large slash on his shirt. "Who…Who are you?" she whispered.

            Ephram pulled the ski mask off of his head. 

            Shock formed on Amy's face. "Ephram…"

            Ephram frowned. "You were expecting Irv Harper?"

            Amy backed away, covering her mouth in terror. "_You're_ the masked hero everyone's been talking about?"

            "Oh no, I'm just his stunt double for when he needs to cool-off in his trailer," Ephram sarcastically answered.

            Amy frowned. "What are you doing here?"

            Ephram motioned towards the large bleeding gash on his chest. "Got a first-aid kit? Several bottles of pain killer and a blood transfusion would work too…"

            Amy pulled one from one of her drawers. "Last time I checked, your dad's one the best doctors in America…"

            Ephram sat down in the chair, clutching his wound. "Yeah, and he'd also kill me if he found out what I was doing. I figured you'd be a little more merciful…"

            Amy slapped Ephram. "I can't believe you didn't tell me about this!"

            Ephram rubbed his cheek and smirked. "Now I never said I _wasn't the masked man…"_

            Amy opened the first-aid kit. "Shuddup and let me get a look at the cut…"

            Ephram hissed in pain as Amy slowly pulled his turtleneck and shirt off. He could recall having many dreams about Amy undressing him, but never under these circumstances.

            Amy worked on Ephram for what seemed like hours, helping him clean out the cut and stop the bleeding. 

            "The butterfly-bandages will keep the gash closed shut, but I still think you need stitches…" Amy mumbled.

            Ephram shook his head. "Nah. You saw last night's injury – I didn't get stitches for that either but I'm still fine."

            Amy wiped her hands. "'Fine?' More like 'lucky.'" Throwing the bandage wrappers and disinfectant cloths away, Amy continued. "So why are you doing this? I mean, your sister's safe now. Why keep wearing the mask?"

            Ephram shrugged. "Someone's gotta stop these guys. The police were obviously doin a bang-up job so I had to step in. Besides, I have nothing to lose. My home is a town in the middle of nowhere, I'm in love with a girl that'll always be out of my reach, my mom's dead, and I've lost interest in my only big skill (the piano). Delia and Dad are all I've got left and I'm not gonna let anything happen to them if I can prevent it."

            "Ephram…" Amy started.

            Ephram grabbed his shirt and slipped it on. He knew the sun would rise in a couple hours. "Thanks for all this, but I gotta go."

            Amy gave Ephram a worried look. "You're not going to go after them, are you?" The guy you roughed-up tonight has already been brought to the station and they're probably interrogating him as we speak. Let the police take care of it."

            Ephram shook his head again and headed for the window.

            Amy grabbed his hand and jerked his arm back. "Ephram, please. Promise me you won't go after them."

            Ephram kissed her cheek. "It has to be done."

            Without another word, Ephram slipped his ski mask on and jumped out the window, disappearing from sight once more.

**TO BE CONCLUDED**


End file.
